Goal For The Green

Landscaping can be a lot of work and a lot of expense. Mowing the lawn, trimming trees and shrubs, planting flowers, and pulling weeds adds up quickly. But what if the landscape around your house saved you money?

The EPA reports that well-planned, energy-efficient landscaping does just that by lowering heating and cooling expenses. The U.S. Department of Energy reports that energy-efficient landscaping saves 30 to 50 percent on heating and air conditioning bills. Landscaping for energy savings, or enviroscaping, can be part of the overall construction of a site, but is also beneficial for landscape enhancement or rehabilitation.

Landscaping Techniques for Energy Savings

Various landscape techniques create energy savings. Deciduous trees planted on the south side of buildings produce shade and keep heat off the roof and sides of buildings during the summer. Bare trees allow the winter sun through. Hardscaping on the north and west sides of buildings with rocks, fences, walls, shrubs and trees shields buildings from harsh winter winds and controls snowdrifts. Landscaping for energy savings can require digging and moving earth. Do-it-yourself homeowners may need special equipment such as backhoe rental or the assistance of landscaping professionals.

Using the Right Plants

An important part of landscaping for energy savings is choosing the right plants for the right purposes. Native plants will do best with little maintenance or water because they are adapted to the local environment. For extreme environments such as parking areas and urban streetscapes, it’s important to use plants that are very hardy and tolerant of the environment they’ll be in. Tough growing conditions include compacted soil, drought conditions, high temperatures, and air pollution.

Deciduous trees and shrubs are best for shade in summer and let winter sun through to warm building roofs and sides. Evergreens are best for windbreaks and screening undesirable views and utility areas.

If you don’t want to plant trees, but still want to provide some shade for your home or building, use vines. They’ll keep a building’s walls cooler than bare walls and block sunlight (and the resulting heat) from hitting walls and raising indoor temperatures.

Water in the Landscape

Using water in the landscape helps reduce water usage and conserve energy. Installing a small pond or other water feature tempers heat in outdoor areas around buildings. Planting drought-resistant plant varieties reduces water consumption. Planting shrubs and plants with similar water needs together in the landscape cuts down on water usage during the hottest parts of the year.

Windbreaks

The Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Clearinghouse reports that windbreaks on north, west, and east sides of a house cut energy consumption on average by 40 percent. Buildings in windy climates especially benefit from well-placed landscaping windbreaks. Evergreens and shrubs are commonly used windbreaks, but can be combined with physical structures like walls, fences, or berms to keep strong winds from hitting buildings. Windbreak plantings should be planted about fifteen feet from the building and 50 feet further than each side of the area being protected to be most effective.